


Six or Seven, Thereabouts

by wynnebat



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Banter, Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-31
Updated: 2018-08-31
Packaged: 2019-07-04 20:42:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15848985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wynnebat/pseuds/wynnebat
Summary: Tom offers constructive criticism on Harry's proposal. Fortunately for him, Harry's too in love to take him back to the boyfriend store.





	Six or Seven, Thereabouts

Harry’s heart catches in his throat, feeling far too big to be contained there. It’s bursting out of him, and there’s nothing he can do, and it’s good that Harry expected it, isn’t it? He’s a Gryffindors, but it’s not that Gryffindors don’t know fear. It’s that they go on despite it. And this— it’s not fear, it’s apprehension, it’s silk-soft terror and a word that could bring all his hopes crushing down. Harry isn’t James Potter’s son for nothing—he’ll persevere and ask his questions again until Tom is ready to listen—but it will hurt all the same.

He’d considered doing this in public, but Tom doesn’t enjoy spectacles unless he plans them himself. And so Harry waits. He takes the day off work and makes a dinner extravagant enough for Tom to become suspicious the moment he reaches the kitchen once he arrives from work. Tom lets him get away with his secrecy, lets himself be pampered for a night. It’s hardly an ordeal.

Harry brings desert out, places it on the table, and knows it’s the moment. He means to sink down on one knee, but he’s rather more used to sinking to both when Tom gives him that easy, pleased look. The floor is cold and hard under his knees. Above him, Tom is the opposite, surprise chasing away his former expression. Out of his pocket, Harry brings a small black box and opens it to reveal a ring. All the while, Tom waits for him to speak.

He means to say something grand, but what comes out first is, “I love you.” And that’s it, isn’t, the beginning and the end, the driving force behind Harry’s life ever since he met this man. Tom had been eleven and already set for Slytherin even on the train to Hogwarts, while Harry had been offended that anyone would choose colors other than red and gold. (He’s still offended, a bit, but years of exposure to Tom have left that battle a stalemate. Besides, Tom does look handsome in green.) “In the six years that we’ve been together—”

“Seven,” Tom interrupts with that smug little smile that says he knows exactly what he’s doing. At Harry’s glare, he says, “Well, it’s true. Go on.”

Harry takes a deep breath. Well, if Tom’s going to play it like that, “Fine, fine, it’s been seven years since you got your head out of your ass—”

“—you mean since I graciously requested you to join me in Hogsmeade,” Tom adds, leaning in a little, his eyes shining.

Harry tries to tell himself that flinging the pretty ring at Tom’s head would be counter-productive. “I still think you did it just to one-up me, there’s no other reason for you asking me out the same day I’d planned to do it myself—”

“Nonsense,” Tom says. “What would’ve been the point?”

“Because you hate me,” Harry moans. “I can’t believe I want to be with you forever.” He shoves the ring at Tom’s chest. “Put me out of my misery already, please.”

His stupid boyfriend is smiling so widely that Harry knows this story is going to make its rounds through Tom’s circle of evil Slytherins. It doesn’t even need to be adjusted for maximum amusement; Harry’s pain is already evident. But Harry can’t help match Tom’s grin, because this isn’t a no. Tom doesn’t tease when he really means no. Tom caresses Harry’s fingers as he takes the ring, slipping it on before tilting Harry’s head back with that same hand. Harry can feel the press of the ring against the back of his head, and it’s kind of fucking perfect.

Harry doesn’t even have to stand, because Tom leans down to kiss him, the gesture shockingly gentle despite the possessiveness in his expression, in the way Tom runs his fingers through Harry’s hair.

“Yes,” Tom says as he pulls away just enough to speak. “Forever would be lonely without you, Harry. I wouldn’t want to spend it any other way.”

And there’s nothing Harry can do but press his lips against Tom’s, Tom’s words threading themselves through his heart.

**Author's Note:**

> (Later, Tom decides that he might as well introduce to Harry the concept of forever being a little more literal than Harry believes.)
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> I'm also on [tumblr](https://crownwithoutstones.tumblr.com/).


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